


We're Robinsons (Roughly)

by orphan_account



Category: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Genre: Asexual Character, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, currently on hiatus due to ~DEPRESSION~, i love this good dad and his robot kids, meteor shower, title taken from castle of fu manchu episode (episode 323)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 11:34:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21337573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Joel had never thought he'd become a father, considering... everything. But then the bots entered his life, and suddenly, everything changed.
Relationships: Joel Robinson & Crow T. Robot & Tom Servo
Kudos: 17





	1. Father's Day

**Author's Note:**

> this fandom is dead I know but.... LISTEN

Father’s day rolled around without much fuss the first year. To be honest, Joel was so caught up in that day’s experiment that he hadn’t even  _ realized _ it was father’s day until it passed. 

The second year, he was ready to forget once more. The Mads were keeping him and the bots busy— nearly a movie a day. It took all of Joel’s willpower not to lose his calm, knowing that would be letting the Mads win. 

“Joel?” Crow said hesitantly, walking over the inventor after the day’s experiment had ended. His hands were behind his back, almost like he was hiding something. Servo trailed behind him. Even Gypsum was there, slithering after them.

“What is it, guys?” Joel asked, giving the bots his full attention. Worry set in that something might be wrong. The bots had never looked this… nervous. 

Crow took his arms from behind his back and shyly offered up a clearly handmade card. “Happy Father’s Day,” he said. 

“Oh, Crow,” Joel breathed, taking the card from the bot’s metallic hands. He ran a hand over the front, looking the drawing on it over. It showed him, holding hands with Crow and Servo, Gypsum peeking in from behind him. “ _ HAPPy FAtHER’S DAy _ ” was scrawled at the top of the card in what appeared to be crayon. “Did you make this yourself?” 

“I did the drawing,” Servo piped up. “Gypsum came up with what to say, and Crow wrote it down.” 

“Open it!” Gypsum said. Joel obliged, smiling when he saw what was inside. 

It was a small medallion, made from a mix of metals from around the ship. The cord was made from pieces of discarded wiring, and carved in the metal, it said “MOON’S BEST FATHER.” 

“Do you like it?” Crow asked. 

Joel pulled the cord over his head, the medallion thumping against his chest as it settled. “I love it,” he said, getting choked up. “C’mere.” He pulled Crow and Servo into a hug, and when he couldn’t reach Gypsum, gestured for her to join. She wrapped a coil around the trio, resting her head on top of theirs. 

“Thank you,” Joel said. “I must be the luckiest father in all of space.” 


	2. Danger, Joel Robinson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (i've never seen lost in space)
> 
> (the title is basically only to make that joke)

Watching meteor showers on Earth was totally different from actually _experiencing_ one, as Joel would come to find.

The SOL shook dangerously, emergency lights flashing in a similar fashion to the movie sign. Joel scrambled, grabbing with both hands onto his worktable, his invention for next week's invention exchange sliding off and onto the floor, breaking apart. 

There was a final loud _thump_ above Joel's head, and he could see the dent in the metal, before the SOL finally came to rest. The ship's power was out, but thankfully, the backup oxygen supply was online. By the time it had run out, power would be turned back on. Joel breathed a sigh of relief, grabbing his flashlight to check on his bots. 

"Crow? Tom?" he called, swinging his flashlight around in an arc. "Gypsum? Cambot? Are you okay?" He ignored the way his heart sped up when nobody replied. His bots were smart. They would be _fine_. 

"Joel?" a quiet voice called. "That you?" _Gypsum. __Thank_ _goodness_.

Joel turned into the next room, sucking in a breath. Gypsum's coils were crushed under the collapsed desk. Joel figured it must have fallen over during the meteor shower, and rushed to Gypsum's side. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?" he asked. 

Gypsum shook her head. "Only a little," she said. Joel could tell she was lying, but now wasn't the time for that. 

"Okay. I'll get that desk off of you," Joel said, standing and starting to push on the desk with his back. At first, it wasn't moving, but eventually, it gave way. It slid off of Gypsum's coils, freeing her. 

"Thank you, Joel," she said, stretching back up to her "standing" position. 

Joel frowned, rubbing her cheek. "You sure you're okay?" 

"Just a little sore!" she chirped. 

Joel nodded. "Let me know if it gets worse, alright?" Gypsum agreed. "Do you know where anyone else is?" 

As if on cue, Cambot zoomed into the room, beeping frantically. Crow and Tom weren't far behind, Tom in Crow's arms to increase speed as they rushed to the bridge. "Joel! You're okay!" Tom cried. 

Joel kneeled down in front of where Crow had come to a stop, placing Tom on the ground. Joel gave them both a good once over, then stood and did the same to Cambot. "Everything seems fine," he said finally. "What a relief."

"What _was_ that?" Crow asked. 

"It was a meteor shower, Crow," Joel explained patiently, trying to get the desk back into place.

"What are meteors?"

"Little space rocks."

"Where do they come from?" 

"Space."

"But _where_ in space?" 

"Everywhere," Joel said, moving the desk back to its original position. He presented it with a low-energy flourish. "Good as new, right, guys?" The bots nodded. "Alright. It's been a long day. Why don't we all get some rest?"

Crow and Tom groaned. "It's so _early!_ Can't we play a game?" Tom begged.

Joel hummed for a moment before giving in. "One game. Then you've gotta recharge. Stress uses a lot of energy, you know." 

"Is that why you're always so tired?"

Joel laughed. "Yep," he said. "That and you four. You're a handful."

Crow gasped, fake-insulted. "We are not!" 

"Sure," Joel said. "Go pick a game before I change my mind." The bots rushed off, yelling an argument between Monopoly and Scrabble the whole way to the library. Despite everything that had happened, Joel smiled.


	3. The Bots and the Bees

"Joel?" Servo asked one morning. "Where did you come from?"

Continuing to work on his project for the next invention exchange, Joel said, "I came from Earth, Tom."

"But who built you?" Servo pressed, climbing up onto the worktable. Joel moved his invention aside to give Servo space to sit. "You built us, but who built you?" 

Joel rubbed the back of his neck, trying to figure out how to explain human anatomy to a young robot. Similarly to explaining it to a young child, right? Except Joel had never really prepared a speech like this, because he'd never planned on having kids.

"Well," Joel began slowly. "I wasn't built. I'm not a robot. You guys don't grow or change. Me, I started out as a baby and grew into an adult." 

Servo hummed for a long moment, taking in this information. "Well, where do babies come from?" 

Joel froze. "Storks," he said. 

"Storks?"

"Storks," Joel said, nodding overly-convincingly. "Yeah, they come and they drop the baby off on the parents' doorstep, like a newspaper." 

Servo nodded sagely. "Like a newspaper..." He stopped. "Well, where do the storks get the babies from?" 

"Nobody knows," Joel said, returning to his invention work. "Life's great mystery. Pass me that wrench, please?" Servo obliged. 

"So how do you know you're getting a real baby?" 

"You just have to trust the stork, I guess. I never had kids, 'cept for you guys, so I don't know all that much." 

"We're your kids?" 

"Sorta, yeah. You act like kids," Joel said, playfully tapping Servo on the head with the wrench. 

Servo gasped. "I take offense to that! I am _extremely_ mature!" 

"Sure you are."

Servo narrowed his eyes at the inventor. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"Me? Never." Joel picked up the invention and studied his handiwork. "What do you think?" Servo tilted his head, taking in all angles of the creation. 

"I don't get it," he finally said. 

"You will," Joel said, "we've got an experiment tomorrow. Speaking of... Magic Voice, what time is it?"

"Eight thirty," the serene woman's voice replied. 

"Alright. Time for bed."

"But I'm not tired yet! Joel!" Servo groaned as Joel picked him up, walking through the SOL's halls before entering Servo's room. Gently, Joel put Servo into his charging bed. 

"Goodnight, Tom," Joel said, giving the bot a kiss on the forehead. 

"Goodnight, Joel." 

Joel smiled as he flicked the light switch to Servo's room off. 


End file.
